A New Wind Blows
by Taigon Shikkin
Summary: A new evil has descended upon the land of Nippon. Amaterasu is thrown back into the fray, with new and improved human...-ish... form. She will face new dangers and reunite with old friends to dispel the evil. Betrayals will be had and love will bloom. Warnings: Character Death and Betrayal. Oki x Amaterasu Inspired By Solarflare's Sunrise
1. New Evil

**Warnings: Major Character Death (later on) and Betrayal, though there will be happy endings all around!**

It had been one year since the adventure to the mortal plane, at least that's how long it had been here who knows how long it had really been, for time moved differently in the celestial plane. She missed everything about the mortal world. The food, the new and kind people, the food, the excitement of traveling and freedom to do what she pleased, did she mention the the food? Amaterasu used her kimono sleeve to wipe at her chin and quietly cleared her throat to compose herself. She wasn't imagining eating 's special cherry cakes, no sir-ee.

Amaterasu, or Ammy, as she was fondly nicknamed by Issun, was currently lounging in the branches of an old willow that hung over the palace courtyard's pond. It was bath day, when Nuregami grabbed every god and goddess, even some of the servants and visitors of the palace, and threw them into the bath. Every Sunday it was the same thing over and over again, most of the brush gods and servants now used to her behavior obliged with her demands, though some refused. Gekigami was easily embarrassed and stubborn, being about the same age as a mortal male teen, not to mention that his fur stood on end from built up static electricity after a bath. Kabegami, the same age as a child, did not want to waste play time taking a bath.

Then there was, Ammy, she hated taking baths, the artificial smell of the oils of the bath bothered her, the oil would cling to her hair and fur, and weigh it down, making her feel uncomfortable. She didn't care if it was to make her skin healthy and pretty, a soak in a hot spring would do the same thing.

Ammy sighed, looking down into her reflection below. She was already very pretty, easily more fair than Otohime and dear late Himiko combined. After cleaning up the mess of the celestial plane, getting rid of any evil presence still lingering and freeing survivors, they rebuilt the old government and palace to their former glory.

Upon doing so, she and the brush gods were once again back at full power allowing them to change forms as they pleased. The gods favored their more human forms for how long they were attached to the mortal plane. She too was rather fond of her more human form, but she would rather wear fur than clothes, which was reflected in her choice of clothes.

Ammy wore an untraditional, but very comfortable kimono with a red binding underneath. It was a pure white silk one-sleeved kimono with crimson lining and the obi was a rich red with the golden sun embroidered upon it. The skirt of the kimono was short to allow her the freedom of running unhindered. The goddess had red ribbons lacing her thin grass woven sandals tight up to her knees. The sleeveless shoulder showed off the crimson markings of her goddesshood. Her infinite inkpot was tied to her obi and stopped at her hips.

She wasn't petite, but not very tall either, being just this side of shorter than average. Ammy being the "origin and mother of us all" was well endowed, but her binding held her in place tightly. Her hair was tucked around her to keep the eyes of her hunters averted. It was long enough to brush the middle of her thighs, pure white like her fur coat in wolf form. It was tied loosely in a high messy ponytail with many fly-aways. Her bangs were drawn to the side of her face and tied with red ribbons to show the crimson marking on her forehead. Her wolf ears twitched this way and that, just as her bushy tail wagged behind her in contentedness.

However, out of these features the most amazing were her eyes. Red, orange, and yellow were mixed into the golden color of the sunrise, ferocious, but very kind and gentle at the same time. They were accentuated by her defined eyebrows and delicate nose. Ammy looked every inch the sun goddess she was.

Ammy returned from her musings when her reflection was disturbed below. An old man with crimson markings and hair like her own stared stonily up at her favorite hiding place among the willows branches. He was dressed in finery, though simplistic, and held a bamboo cane with a murky yellow crystal atop of it with a large scroll slung across his back.

Her ears perked forward in a tense motion, and she stiffened all the way down to her tail, a knot formed in her stomach. Ammy rolled off her branch, landing gracefully as dandelions and lush grass sprung up below her feet to cushion her fall. Standing up, Ammy adjusted her binding to give her a bit more breathing room, and looked to the old looking god before her. "Yomigami, why so glum? Did you refuse to take a bath and get hand washed by Nuregami like a child? Your face will get more wrinkles and stick that way if you're not careful." Yomigami's eyes narrowed in brief annoyance, but returned to their grim demeanor. He was often serious, but not grimly so, which meant something was wrong.

"Yumigami requests your presence in the Abalone Room. She says it's of the utmost importance that you get there now." Ammy's eyes widened. Yumigami never requested for her presence since their personalities clashed and caused them to fight. Something was definitely wrong. Ammy backflipped, changing into her wolf form just as the Oina tribe did and took off at high speed. Servants quickly dodged out of the way, startled by the speed of their goddess and that she was out and about on bath day.

Ammy turned sharply down a wide hall, almost bumping into Waka, who was carrying many scrolls. "Oh! Where are you off to so quickly, ma cherie?" The blond man asked loudly as Ammy barked at him. She had no time for apologies. A few more sharp turns and a lot of near misses later, Ammy arrived at a large door that looked to be made of pearl. Using her head, Ammy shoved the door open and trotted inside.

A beautiful and silent woman stood at the edge of a large pool of water, just a bit ahead of Ammy. Weaving through the large pearl pillars, Ammy came to a stop next to the tall maiden. She was almost as fair as Ammy, pale skin, slim body, long and straight white hair, with crimson markings, marking her as a brush god. She had a moon hairpin keeping her hair from straying into her dark grey eyes and long rabbit ears standing tall on top of her head. She wore a traditional kimono with fluffy white fur lining the neck, and a pale yellow obi with the moon on it binding it all in harmonious beauty. Yumigami was indeed beautiful as most of the brush goddesses were, but where Ammy's beauty was wild and untamed, she had a cold and stoic beauty.

The pool Yumigami stood before was pure blue and glowed with a divine soft light. It was the Scrying Pool that allowed the celestials to look upon the mortals below. It had been here before Ammy was born during the time of the creators. The pool was deep so you couldn't see the bottom, just a light shining from below that caused the water to glow. Legend said that the pool had been used as a passage to the mortal plane in times of need. Other than the obvious power the pool had, no one knew how it got there. There was nothing recorded about it in the Royal Archives.

The palace was built around the pool, which was now located in the Abalone Room. The room was called as such because of the pearl-like material the room was constructed with. Everyone used the pool, but not as much as Yumigami. When Yumigami was not completing her duty to bring the moon up at night, she watched over the pool at all hours while she was awake.

Ammy quickly reversed her form to human, and stood stiffly next to the rabbit. "Yumigami, you wished to speak with me?" Yumigami merely gestured to the picture forming in the pool with her dark eyes. Ammy followed her gaze to the distorted image, blurring in and out of focus like something was interfering with it.

The pool depicted Agata Forest. It was overrun with demons, roaming through the trees. Madame Fawn's fortune-telling shop and Kokari's home were abandoned. The image shifted to Taka Pass, which was in the same condition, shops closed and abandoned, more demons roaming the countryside. The picture blurred again showing Kusa villagers heavily barricading the village entrance and building a wall around the edge of the cliffs. Sasa Sanctuary was mostly the same, the security a bit tighter than usual. The image kept blurring in and out, showing the change Nippon was going through. It had only been a few months since Ammy had been to the Scrying Pool, it should not have changed this fast. It should not have changed at all.

The last straw for her was the pool showing Kamiki Village. The villagers and a pregnant Kushi were running out of their burning village into Shinshu Field, with Susano protecting them as they fled. They all ran for shelter towards the entrance to the frozen wastelands of Kamui.

There was a resounding crack of hard pearl as the pillar behind them shook with the force of Ammy making a crater in it with her fist. Her small frame shook with barely restrained anger, and her golden eyes blazed with fury. Turning to the silent goddess she shouted, "What is going on?! I defeated the lord of darkness, Yami, and killed most of the demon forces! There should have just been a few stragglers left, and only the weaker ones! Why are there so many!?"

Yumigami turned her eyes back to Ammy, speaking for the first time,"I was only aware of this myself as of a few hours ago. I have been gathering as much information as possible." Yumigami waved her hand over the pool, bringing up a clear image. Depicted were a few demons here and there, spread throughout Nippon. However, they weren't causing mayhem every chance they got like they usually did. They were staying to the shadows, sneaking about Ryoshima Coast, Taka Pass, Agata Forest, and Shishu Field.

"I believe the demons have a new master, one that is more intelligent than Yami. I have seen many of the remaining demons slain, so I dismissed the behavior as being cautious. However, I was wrong. By the time I realized that something was wrong, this had already happened. I tried to continue to collect information, but then Kamiki Village was attacked… I called for you immediately." Yumigami paced back and forth, her brow crinkled in frustration. Ammy's eyes still blazed with anger, but she took a deep breath to restrain and compose herself. "Do you know anything else?" she gritted out. Yumigami through her arms up in vexation.

"No! Nothing! I can't seem to gather any information from - from anywhere!" Yumigami balled up her fists and gritted her teeth. If this wasn't so serious, it would be amusing. Yumigami was the calmest person, except Yomigami, in the palace. She didn't lose her cool about anything. Ammy still couldn't help but give her an amused look, but immediately went back to being serious. "So what are we suppos-" Interrupted, Ammy was hurled forward into Yumigami as the palace shuddered with a resounding explosion.

The goddesses were roughly thrown into a tangled heap on the ground. Ammy groaned and started coughing, as the air had been forced from her lungs. Yumigami was laying under her in the same condition. As Ammy tried to get up another explosion shook the the palace. It made her lose her balance again, but she caught herself on the pillar next to them. Regaining her voice, Ammy quickly pulled Yumigami up off the floor,"Come on, we need to-" She was interrupted once more as the door slammed open to the room.

Kabegami came running through the pillars, her cat ears pressed flat against her short and messy white hair and her tail lashing back and forth frantically. She had on a loose white play kimono pulled up to show the crimson marking on her legs and bare feet. The obi she was wearing was purple with gold cat paws embroidered on it. Kabegami had such a look of panic on her face as she ran to Ammy, hiding her face in the white silk at Ammy's waist. Ammy's instincts urged her to comfort the little goddess. No one brought out her motherly side like Kabegami.

Ammy crouched down to the frightened cat goddess, tilting her face up so she could look into the little one's pink eyes that were wet with tears. Gently shushing her, Ammy asked, "Kabegami, hey, what's going on? What's wrong?" Kabegami hiccoughed and sniffed, trying to stop crying enough to tell Ammy what was happening. "W-We're under at-at-attack. I-I-I was pl-playing Oni in the garden with I-Ite-Itegami. I was hiding i-nn the hydrangea b-b-bushesss…" Kabegami wiped at her eyes and sniffed again before continuing,"T-That's when there was this really big boom. A lot of palace guards went running by and-and Itegami was running towards the noise yelling for me to come find you. Mister Waka ran past me just a little while ago too."

Ammy narrowed her eyes at this information. Who would dare invade the Celestial palace which not only had guards, but some of the most powerful people in the celestial realm living there? Another explosion rocked the palace, followed by two more. Kabegami whimpered and hid her face back in Ammy's kimono fabric. Just as she was about to change into her wolf form to go join the battle loud footsteps could be heard running towards them. There was no time to change, she would just have to fight in her current form. Ammy summoned the blade of Kusanagi to her and set Solar Flare as her sub weapon for extra protection. She was, after all, still in possession of Kabegami, who would hinder her in a fight.

Yumigami summoned and readied her mochi hammer, standing as still as a statue as the sound got closer. It was right on top of them… Suddenly a figure came running in through the open door and slammed it loudly, startling the goddesses inside. Ammy and Yumigami almost attacked the figure until they saw the gold hair and fluffy buttons. "Half-baked prophet! Give us all a heart attack, why don't you!" Ammy puffed her cheeks out, while Yumigami let out a sigh of relief, her long ears drooping.

Waka out of breath, laughed weakly at Ammy's fond insult. His funny-looking hat was gone and his clothes were ripped up, showing his cuts and scratches. He looked worse for the wear. Kabegami latched onto Ammy's bare leg, watching Waka with concerned pink eyes. Ammy, while worried for her comrade, started asking questions immediately. "Are you okay? What's going on? Why are we under attack? Where is everyone else? Are they okay?"

Waka seemed a bit rattled by her barrage of questions. He shook out his gold hair and straightened out his stance before he help up his hand in a time out sign. "Stop, please, ma cherie. You are giving me a headache." Ammy stopped questioning him, but huffed in annoyance crossing her arms over her chest, tail swishing behind her. "Now, I'm afraid I can't answer you right now. There are too many demons, we are outnumbered. Even if you were to join the battle, ma cherie, there would be too many. We need information to defeat this new foe, but there is no time to gather it. The brush gods are fleeing to the mortal plane as we speak, and it is there we will rendezvous." Waka quickly walked over to the Scrying Pool and studied the strange language carved into the side of the pool. He started to chant in the strange tongue that none of them understood.

Another explosion rocked the palace, making Ammy grab Kabegami and hold her tight to her chest to protect the little goddess from the pearlescent debris raining from the ceiling. There was loud pounding on the door, the loud screeching of the many demons added to the deafening explosions of the bombs. "Uhh, Waka… You might want to hurry!" Ammy watched as the door bent in, losing its resistance to the brutal beating it was receiving.

The light in the bottom of the pool glowed brighter and the water started to swirl as Waka chanted louder. Just then the door cracked open at bit, letting in some of the smaller demons. Kabegami clung to Ammy tightly, as not to get in the way as she fought off the persistent demons with Kusanagi and used the Celestial Brush to freeze some in place to buy more time. Yumigami protected Waka as he kept chanting, bashing any demons' heads that came too close in with her large hammer.

The light from the pool suddenly blinded everyone in the room, vaporizing some of the lesser demons. The water was swirling around quickly, just like the whirlpool entrance to the Dragon Palace. Waka unsheathed his sword, Pillow Talk, and started to fend off advancing demons away from the Scrying Pool, Yumigami assisting him. "Go now, Amaterasu! That is the passage to the mortal realm below. Where it will take you I'm afraid I do not know." Waka shouted over his shoulder to the sun goddess. "What about you?! Aren't you coming with us?!" Ammy shouted over the fray, slaying the demons that attacked her and the still clinging Kabegami, who had a death grip on Ammy's neck and waist.

Waka gave her his brilliant smile before slaying the ring of demons around him. "We'll see each other again, be sure of that. Until then let me give you a new prophecy. _A new wind blows, let the journey begin!_ " With those last few words Waka jumped into the middle of the fray once more. All that Ammy could see were flashes of his golden hair and the sound of Pillow Talk whistling through the air. Ammy looked about to find Yumigami and grab her, but then there was another explosion. It shook the palace like all the others, but this time it was just outside the Abalone Room doors. The resulting shockwave threw her back and into the Scrying Pool.

Ammy clung tight to Kabegami, refusing to let the little cat goddess slip from her grasp as she was completely submerged in dark water. All she could do was hold her breath and cling to Kabegami as she was tossed around the whirlpool. Her left side collided hard against something and it winded her, causing her to cough and inhale water.

The edges of her vision grew dark and blurry as she started to feel light headed and her ears began to ring. Before she blacked out, she thought, _'I remember why I hate bath day…. I can't swim very...good…'_

 _ **End of Chapter 1**_

Thank you for reading, please review and I hope you enjoyed reading the first chapter of A New Wind Blows. Edited by GeckoMama.


	2. Back Again

It was very warm, almost uncomfortably so. She was curled up on her right side with the covers pulled up over her head to where you could only see her ears and the white hair that spilled out from the top. Ammy shuffled the covers to where she could sit up, folding them down at her waist. Her white hair was out of its red ribbon messy and askew, though her bangs were still tied back. She looked around the room in a daze, orange-gold eyes glazed over.

The aforementioned room was bright and colorful. It was almost as regal as her room in the palace. Wait… this wasn't her room. Where was she again? Ammy rubbed her eyes sleepily trying to remember where she was.

Ammy lifted her left arm to pull the covers off of herself, but stopped short and grabbed her left side. Pain was radiating through her ribs, making her hiss through her teeth. When did that-!? Ammy froze as the memories replayed through her mind.

The palace was attacked! She had been knocked into the pool with Kabegami and had collided hard with something. But she should be healed by now! The sun goddess ignored the ache in her side and shifted to get a better look around the spacious room. The room looked slightly familiar. Ammy studied the walls a bit closer. Colorful silk and fans adorned the walls and there were cabinets on one of them. Now that she thought of it, these walls looked an awful lot like coral.

Ammy's wolf ears perked up and swiveled to the door when she heard light footsteps coming her way. Her hearing was pretty good, maybe not as much when she really was a wolf, but she could pick up sounds from quite the distance such as the nearly silent footsteps in the hallway. The doors swung open into the well lit hallway, throwing a shadow over the person in the door. Ammy squinted to see who it was, but could only make out a silhouette. They were tall and it was obviously female by their figure.

"Amaterasu, origin and mother to us all, you have returned to the mortal plane. It is good to see you again, my old friend." The figure stepped into room, balancing the light enough to make out who was speaking. Sun colored eyes widened at the Dragonian Queen Otohime pleasantly smiling at her. "Otohime-dono!" Otohime waved to the guards at the entrance of the room, gesturing for them to close the doors for privacy.

"You needn't use the title. After all you not only have a higher status, but you are my friend, Amaterasu-san." Otohime elegantly walked to kneel by Ammy's bedside and arranged her flowing kimono skirt around her. Her appearance had not changed much, even the soft sorrow in her eyes was still there from when her husband passed. However, now there was something there that eased that grief, a happy spark that twinkled in her ocean grey-blue eyes. "Then I expect the same." Ammy gave her a small smile and Otohime gave her one in return.

"It was quite an event around here. I must say you startled many people popping in out of nowhere like you did, along with Kabegami." Otohime's tone was casual, but Ammy could see her last bit caught her attention though. "Kabegami! Where is she? Is she safe? Is she alright?" Ammy asked as fast as she could and not stumble over her words. Otohime smiled at her friends rambling questions understandingly. She gestured vaguely off to the side, "Oh, she's around here somewhere, probably in the playroom. She's quite the little troublemaker, isn't she. As for how she is, well, she was quite shaken up and refused to leave your side until she saw that I had you taken care of. However, she's just fine now after a little rest and some clean clothes." Ammy looked down at her hands that were folded in her lap and sighed in relief. Good, Kabegami was safe and sound and that's what mattered.

Ammy sat up straight and looked into her friend's eyes, ready to move onto another important subject. "Otohime, what's happened? There is something wrong in Nippon. I can feel it." Otohime frowned at the question, going silent. She scrunched her thin eyebrows together, showing the worry lines on her forehead. Ammy waited as patiently as she could, which was saying a lot for her. She couldn't stand waiting as she was not used it, but she understood Otohime would need to gather her thoughts before she spoke.

"Let me start off by saying I have not been paying attention to the land for some time now," Otohime began, "I have been busy taking care of the kingdom and taking care of my son, so I was not really sure what was going on when the scouts reported to me a few weeks ago. They spoke of strange demons prowling on the shore by the dock, all looking for something. I made a quick decision and closed access to the springs and the whirlpool. No one has been allowed through unless it was absolutely necessary. I'm afraid I only know what little my guards bring me, since I have not been on land in years." Otohime gave Ammy an apologetic look as she could not be more help to her friend.

Ammy paused to mull over what little information Otohime had given her when she realized that Otohime spoke as if she had been gone years. It was only then did she remember once again that time moved differently in the celestial plane. The goddess hesitated, but she asked anyway. "Otohime, how long has it been since I left for the celestial plane?" Ammy feared the answer. Otohime raised her eyebrows in surprise, but answered her anyway. "It's been almost five years." Five years?! Ammy gasped in surprise. She had been absent from the mortal plane for half a decade. Oh dear, that might complicate a few things.

"So where did you find Kabegami and I?" Ammy changed the subject in a way only she could. It would be fruitless to pursue the matter. Otohime didn't seem bothered though she quirked her eyebrow at the sudden change. "As I said before, I closed off access to the mermaid springs so no one would be able to get in to invade the palace through the spring in the fountain chamber. However, you suddenly appeared in the spring just earlier yesterday evening. The guards immediately fetched me from the throne room where I was playing with my son. I left him in care of the guards as I rushed to see what everyone was making a fuss about there being an intruder in the palace.

"When I got there, I knew it was you, even if no one else recognized you. No one else has red divine markings and white colored hair other than the brush gods." Otohime continued recounting her tale. "Kabegami was soaked and she was not letting anyone near you. The poor child was crying her heart out, but she wouldn't stand down from protecting you. If I hadn't known she was a goddess, I would have thought her to be an exceptionally brave child, not that I don't think that now. She calmed down as soon as she saw me though. I guess she just remembered me." Ammy's heart ached for the little goddess. Being alone in a place you didn't recognize and surrounded by people you didn't know was very frightening.

"I got you to the healer after I was able to get Kabegami to release her grip on you. She said that you had broken a rib in your left side, but you were starting to heal albeit very slowly. The healer set the bone and bandaged it tightly to keep it from healing wrong or moving. It was a relief when you were released and put to rest in this room. We took the liberty of cleaning your clothes for you and Kabegami for when you are ready to don them again." Otohime pointed out the neatly folded clothes on top of the cabinet dresser, as well as her her sandals and hair ribbon.

Ammy gave her look of gratitude as she put a hand on her injured side. Now she understood why she wasn't healed yet. Scratches, cuts, gashes, burns, etc., were easily healed by soaking up some sunlight because they were surface injuries. Internal injuries such as bruises and broken bones took longer to heal, because her body had to take more time to turn the sunlight into energy to heal, as it taxed her body to do so. It was one reason she took tons of naps and was to build up energy to do various things that required lots of energy. The dreams of the mortal plain she so dearly loved were a bonus.

Otohime rose to her feet and said, "You must be hungry. Lunch will be served in a little while and if you're up to it, we can dine in the throne room. First, we will retrieve Kabegami and my son from the playroom, though. My son seems to have taken a liking to her." The queen helped Ammy rise to her feet, before letting her dress in privacy. As she dressed herself, Ammy took stock of her injury. It still hurt, but by the way it felt, it should be healed by the next day as long as she didn't strain herself.

Ammy laced her sandals up tightly and grabbed her red ribbon as she exited the room. Otohime was waiting outside accompanied by two palace guards. "This way. The playroom is not far from here." Ammy tied her white hair up into her usual messy pony tail up high on her head, feeling it brush the back of her thighs as she followed Otohime and the guards that were in front of the queen through the halls. Now that she was up and walking around the palace, she knew exactly where she was.

The small party boarded the regal elevator, but instead of going up, which was to the throne room, they descended to a part of the palace that Ammy had never seen before. There were two doors in the short hallway in front of Ammy. Her ears flicked as she heard the familiar squealing laughter of children coming from the door on the right. The two guards took a post on each side of the elevator to wait for the two women's return.

Otohime led the way down the hall to the door and opened it. Ammy leaned over her friend's shoulder to get a better look at the playroom. The layout was exactly the same as the room she woke up in, but the neatness her room had was non-existent in this one. There were different kind of toys scattered about the floor and there were crudely drawn pictures pinned on the cabinets. It most definitely had childish charm to it though.

Kabegami had already put her play kimono back on, though her obi was crooked and cutely messy, and she was running around with another child. The boy was smaller than Kabegami, but he had no problem keeping up with her. The boy had on a white kosode and royal blue hakama pants and his midnight black hair was long enough to put into a messy top knot his head. In addition to the messy bun, there were fins much like his mother's on his head, though his were colored more like his late father's from what Ammy could remember.

The children stopped their chase in favor of running over to the two adults when they saw them enter the room. "Ka-san, Ka-san! Who is tis?" The little boy said with a little bit of a lisp. Ammy couldn't help but coo at the small child, he was so adorable. Kabegami tugged on Ammy's sleeve, holding up her arms in the motion of wanting to be picked up. Ammy smiled before grabbing her by her arms and swinging her up onto her right hip and Kabegami squealed with, hugging the goddess tightly around her neck.

Otohime hid her smile behind her long sleeve at the two goddesses. They looked so happy in this one moment. Ammy swung Kabegami in a quick circle before she gave her a quick squeeze, "So, I heard that someone was being a gaki*. Who could that have possibly been? Not you was it?" Kabegami giggled at Ammy's playfulness. At the palace in the past few months, it seemed she had no time to play with her anymore. Those stupid celestial digni-what's-its kept her from playing with her. Even if Itegami played with her, she still missed playing with Ammy, or Ka-san as she called her most of the time.

"This is my Ka-san, Mizo-kun. She helped your mama and yours helped mine." Kabegami rubbed her and the goddess's cheeks together, purring lightly. Oto hime picked up her young son and told him, "This is Amaterasu, the sun goddess. She is the one I tell you stories about, like the one about your father. Amaterasu, this is my son, Mizozu Wada the second, though we just call him Mizo." Ammy was able to get a better look at the boy since he was not running around and he looked at lot like King Wada. The kind looking face, noble eyebrows, and cheeks were all like the late king's. However, he had his mother's benevolent ocean grey-blue eyes. Eyes that were looking at her with adoration and awe.

"Aw you te one Ka-san tells me stowies about? Was it twue that you can make fwowas bwoom? And make te wata do what you want it to?" The little prince was asking question after question excitedly as Ammy smiled amusedly and a bit smugly at Otohime upon hearing that she was used as a bedtime story. Otohime gave her a sheepish smile and spoke up over her son to stop the flow of question. "Mizo, you can ask Amaterasu more questions over lunch, which we'll be late to if we don't get there soon."

Mizo and Kabegami cheered about lunch from their respective perches which Otohime and Amaterasu laughed at joyfully. The journey was not a long one, just a ride up the elevator once more all the way to the top floor. Ammy answered Mizo's questions until he got bored and started talking with Kabegami. That let Ammy think about her next move. She was worried about Sei-an city, Kusa Village, and Sasa Sanctuary. Most of all she was worried about Kamiki Village and the villagers.

Otohime kept silently eating or talked to the children as if she knew that Ammy was debating on what she would do next. After lunch, Ammy stood in front of Otohime's throne determinedly. She had made her decision and knew what she needed to do. The children stopped playing as they sensed there were serious things to be discussed. "I feel that you have decided on what you are going to do next, Amaterasu." Otohime said, paying close attention to Ammy's body language.

"I have. Earlier before the palace was attacked, I witnessed demons burning Kamiki Village to the ground. The villagers fled to Kamui, and I am worried for their safety. I need to know if they are safe, and possibly, I might be able to get more information from them about the happenings of Nippon." Ammy explained, tail calmly swishing behind her and ears standing tall with authority. Otohime closed her eyes and nodded her head gravely. She understood and knew how attached to Kamiki Village and the villagers the sun goddess was, having protected it and being reincarnated there. She held the same attachment to the garden where her husband slept as the Water Dragon for many years.

"What of Kabegami? What will you do with her?" Otohime questioned not entirely sure of Ammy's plan. Ammy tilted her head and naively answered, "Well, I was going to take her with me. What else would I do with her?" Kabegami beamed up at Ammy from her spot next to Mizo. "Won't it be too dangerous for her? You will be going to Kamui, a frozen wasteland that is not kind to anyone." Otohime urged, concerned for both of their well being. Ammy planted her hands on her hips, and puffed out her cheeks in a pout. "We'll be fine. I can deal with a little cold and Kabegami can stay in her fur to keep warm. I'm not the sun goddess for nothing."

Otohime was not convinced, but she had no choice in the matter. Sighing Otohime rose from her shell throne, and gestured for the two to follow her, Mizo tagging along behind them. The queen led them down to the mermaid spring. The guards at the door protested slightly, but the queen would not hear of it. "There is no need for the protest. It is not I that will be using it for I am needed here." The guards let their ruler pass with no further protest or hesitation.

Otohime led the small group to the edge of spring, still swirling about, but the swirl that Ammy had once brought back was not there. "I said before that I had closed the springs to protect the palace from the new evil that plagues the land." Otohime pulled out a pretty necklace from her sleeve. It was a light pink flat shell that had been polished until it almost looked translucent. "Take this and wear it. It will allow you and any companion you hold onto to use the mermaid springs. I cannot help you very much, but I can do this much at least." Ammy took the necklace and slipped it over her head, pulling her hair through the chain. She tucked it under her binding so that she would not lose it by accident. "It might not be a lot, but it's the thought that counts. Thank you."

Ammy gave her friend a tight hug. "Good luck, my friend. You have my blessings." Otohime whispered in her ear. Ammy nodded into the queen's shoulder. Releasing her, Ammy turned to the waiting Kabegami who was looking to her with serious eyes. Sometimes she forgot that the cat goddess was in fact a goddess that could hold her own and that she was only a child in guise. She was after all one of the wisest celestials, for people tended to have looser lips around children. "Are you ready to leave?" Kabegami nodded and turned to Mizo to give him a quick hug. "I'll come back to play with you. We have some stuff to do first, okay?" Mizo nodded his head held out his pinky, "Promise?" Kabegami hooked her pinky with his and promised.

The little goddess walked over to Ammy and smiled at her. "Ready." Ammy flipped into her wolf form and Kabegami did the same, only into a kitten. Ammy barked her farewell at the queen and her son and grabbed Kabegami by the scruff of her neck gently. Kabegami waved a paw at the pair as the goddess drew a swirl in the spring with her tail. Ammy glanced back at her friend and her son before leaping into the whirlpool head first. She thought of the greenery and vastness of Shinshu Field and the nice wind that would always blow through her fur when she was there, blue flashing outside of her closed eyes

When she opened her eyes she was standing on the pond in front of the dojo. Or at least where the dojo used to be. Now there was only an overgrown building that had been abandoned for what look like a few years. Sun colored eyes looked over the landscape that had changed since her last visit. The field was still green with life and the guardian sapling was still thriving. However, the field that used to be full of wildlife was empty. The Nameless Man's house just as abandoned as the dojo, and she could guess the small temple at the bottom of the hill, and Tama's house were in similar states of abandonment.

The white kitten in her jaws gave a small mewl of question. Ammy just snorted lightly before continuing down the hill to the entrance of Kamiki Village. She could smell burnt wood and grass from where she stood and Kabegami sneezed to try to clear the smell from her small pink nose. Ammy hesitated in the small rocky valley that used to be the entrance to Kamiki, afraid of what she was about to find. However, she knew that she needed to do this. Ammy gently released a wriggling Kabegami who ran ahead into the village. The white haired goddess followed in suit.

The village was destroyed. The grass and all the huts were scorched black. Susano's house was the least damaged since the wood was stronger than the weaker wood of the other villagers' huts. Kushi's brewery had been ransacked and the water wheel broken, her once lovely house was burnt. Mushi and the Oranges' houses were nothing but ash and ruined walls. There would be no repairing it. Mushi's Mother's crops were trampled and none of the birds and rabbits that used to hop around their house were there. Kabegami was testing the bridge and weaving to avoid the holes in the burnt wood.

Ammy continued on through the village taking in the horrifying sights. She started ascending the stone staircase to Sakuya's tree. The wood sprite would not have been able to flee the village like the villagers did. Ammy's ears twitched at the labored breathing behind her and turned her head to look. Kabegami was climbing the stairs as fast as her legs could get her, hopping one step at a time and panting hard. Ammy gave her a wolfish grin before picking the kitten up and tossing her up onto the mirror on her back. Kabegami gave little protest at the free ride.

Ammy continued up the stairs until she saw the red torii in front of Sakuya. Even the torii did not escape the path of the fire. The paint was burnt and chipped and the top was stained by the smoke, but it was still standing. The Konohana Tree, unfortunately, was in the same condition.

The leaves and flowers were gone, singed right off the branches. Her trunk was discolored where the heat and flames had licked at her bark. Some of the smaller branches had fallen and now just burnt-out embers. But she still stood proud, still alive, just weakened. Ammy stood in front of the tree by the roots glad that the tree had survived the onslaught of the attack. A soft groan was heard by sharp ears coming from behind the tree. "Who-Who's there?" The person started coughing, a woman by the voice. A familiar voice in fact.

Ammy quickly trotted around the tree to see who it was, though the knot in her stomach told her all she needed to know. The woman was indeed whom she thought it was. Sakuya was leaning against Konohana looking very worse for wear. Her already skimpy kimono had tears and rips, the fabric dirty with ash and smoke stains. Her hair was down and stringy, ash smearing both it and her face. Ammy barked in concern for the wood sprite.

Sakuya opened her dark brown eyes to look at the goddess standing front of her. "Lady Amaterasu… you've - you've returned." The injured lady shifted to sit up straighter, but it caused her to double over coughing and hacking. She wheezed trying to breathe. "Something is keeping me from breathing correctly." Sakuya coughed, straining to breathe. Suddenly there was cruel laughter from above in the tree's branches.

It was an imp, but not one that she had seen before. Firstly, it was much larger than she believed an imp could be. Secondly, it had a large pot strapped to it's back. It was sealed, but it glowed with an inner evil fire. She had not seen such evil fire since her last travels in Nippon when she had to dispel cursed fire. Ammy menacingly growled low in her throat, her hackles rising off of her shoulders as she got down in a defensive position. Kabegami hopped off Ammy's reflector and ran for cover near Sakuya who was clinging to consciousness.

"That'd be my lord's special fire mixture. The ash the fire creates smothers anything that breathes. Ke Ke Ke!" The imp continued to cackle, leaping from the branches and landing, making the ground shake from the force of him hitting the ground. The monstrous imp was easily twice Ammy's size, but that did not intimidate her. This demon had hurt her friend, the one who brought her back to life in her reincarnated body and given her one of her most prized weapons. This imp was going down, and you know what they say, the bigger they are the harder they fall.

Ammy sprinted forward, spring blossoms springing from her steps, and swung the divine reflector at the imp, but it dodged out of the way, side stepping the attack. The imp countered with a swipe at Ammy, nearly clipping her side. Ammy attacked once more and hit the imp with a strong combo, forcing the large demon to fall back. "Ha, that's all you got? My lord has granted me power beyond the normal nobody imps. Taste the fiery rage of my master!" The imp pulled the pot onto his shoulder and pulled the seal off the top.

The pot shot a line of cursed flames at the goddess. Ammy jumped high into the air and using her tail as the celestial brush, she conjured divine wind to blow the flames out. However the flames were not extinguished, merely directed away from her. 'My wind is not blowing this fire out. I have to think of a new method.' Ammy continued to dodge, trying to think of a new solution to defeat her adversary. She observed the demon as it kept it's back away from her. Ammy's eyes widened as she realised that it was doing it on purpose. It was subconsciously keeping its weak point away from her, because the pot that was probably on its back always kept the weak point covered.

Ammy acted quickly, feigning an attack on the imp's left. As the imp moved to catch her in the process, she changed directions circling around it to attack its back. Then she saw the weak point, a large milky looking jewel embedded in it's back. Ammy didn't hesitate to attack the jewel, stunning the imp. It was vulnerable giving Ammy the opening she needed to use power slash and finish the imp. The body was cut into two, the imp screeching before it exploded into a shower of pink flowers.

The wolf goddess puffed out a snort, smug at having won the battle easy. The smugness turned to worry as she turned her attention back to the wood sprite. She could feel Sakuya's energy getting fainter. Kabegami was mewing sadly, also having felt the decline of energy, as she sat next to Sakuya's prone form. The wood sprite turned her head to the shimmering white wolf in front of her. It felt like only yesterday she had started Amaterasu's journey of saving Nippon.

Ammy quickly changed back into her more human form to crouch by her fading friend's side. Sakuya's brown eyes widened at the beautiful woman next to her and knew that this was indeed the most beautiful woman in existence. Kind sun colored eyes rested on her form with obvious concern. "Lady Amaterasu, you- you are able to take on another form. How marvelous." Sakuya said in amazement, though it was very quiet. Amaterasu gave her a small shy smile in return, not really used to honest flattery.

"Sakuya…" Amaterasu could not find the words she wanted to express, but Sakuya gave her a serene smile. "I'm afraid I do not have long, however, I have enough strength to tell you what has happened here at least." Sakuya coughed, talking taxing her throat, but she continued. "Earlier the day before, Kamiki Village and Shishu Field were attacked. It was just a peaceful day and Issun was visiting the Oranges and myself. It was too swift for me to understand fully what had happened. Issun and I were talking about his adventures, when all of a sudden there was screaming coming from the village. When I tried to check on the villagers, that demon attacked me. It was burning Kamiki Village down to get your attention and lure you here." Sakuya coughing got worse, her throat parched from inhaling smoke and ash for so long.

Ammy's bright eyes narrowed dangerously and her ears flattened against her head at the thought of someone destroying Kamiki purposely with the intent of luring her to the village. "Lady Amaterasu…" Ammy turned her attention back to her weakening friend, worry clear as she watched her friend struggle to sit up. Ammy quickly grabbed her shoulders to ease her up,cradling the wood sprite's head to her chest and wiping away the ash from her face with care. "You are my friend, Sakuya. Please call me Amaterasu or Ammy." Sakuya smiled sadly up at the white haired beauty. "Ammy… will you please listen to my last wish?" Ammy's eyes welled up with tears, but she stayed strong for her friend and nodded.

Sakuya pulled out a small pink drawstring pouch and put it into Ammy's hand. She clutched Ammy's hand holding the bag it tightly in it. "This is a seed that Konohana bore. It will become the new guardian tree. Please plant this for me and take care of it. It was my duty to fulfil, but I can no longer uphold it. Please, Ammy. For me." Sakuya's voice got softer and faint as her eyelids drooped down low. Ammy nodded again refusing to let her tears fall.

Sakuya's breathing got slower and Ammy had to strain her ears to hear her heartbeat. "Ammy, could you do one more thing for me? It's selfish, but…I want to hear a lullaby. No one has ever sung me to sleep before" Sakuya asked as she closed her eyes, feeling so very tired. "Anything, Sakuya, anything. It's not selfish at all." Ammy swallowed the lump in her throat, and pushed the tears blurring her vision back, her voice cracking slightly with her emotional turmoil. Kabegami mewled sorrowfully, curling up next to Sakuya on Ammy's lap and purred lightly to give her comfort. Sakuya placed a hand on the kitten's back, soothed by the warmth of the soft white fur.

Ammy tried to clear her throat before starting to sing. She sang the only lullaby she had ever heard her mother sing to her, before she disappeared forever. It was a song that held sorrow and heartache, but it was also filled with so much love. Sakuya's breathing slowed to nothingness and her heart finally rested from it's tiring work. It was as if she had gone to sleep. Sakuya was enveloped in a soft and soothing pink light, before fading into cherry blossom petals. The petals blew away in the wind and she was free. Ammy did not stop singing until the last petal was out of sight and her voice cracked with hot tears sliding down her pale cheeks.

The ethereal pale moon was high as there was a long mournful howl echoing across the star covered sky, marking the end of Sakuya's life.

 _ **End of Chapter 2**_

This had my beta, GeckoMama, sniffling. Please review! This is also accessible through AO3 under the name KyuubiChan.


	3. To Kamui

Ammy's thin legs dangled over the sun deck's edge as she looked at Konohana from her viewpoint. The goddess's expression was solemn as she glanced back to the small marker that she had made. The marker was a large stone she had carved with the power slash in the shape of a sakura flower. It was placed upon a pile of rocks, one of which having Sakuya's name engraved upon it. The grave had a small bundle of herbs and wildflowers laid at its base courtesy of Kabegami, who had gathered them from an area around the river that wasn't scorched.

The twin hill was the only place of the village that was not destroyed by the fire. Kabegami was currently chasing a butterfly around the hill that the sun deck was built from. The little goddess was having so much fun and smiling, but it had no effect on Ammy's mood. One of her best friends was gone and she still didn't know what was going on. It had been a disheartening day.

She was still grieving, but Sakuya had given the goddess her the honorable duty of planting her legacy. Ammy pulled the small bag from the inside of her binding to look at it. The bag was made from pink silk and was embroidered with sakura branches in full bloom. It smelled exactly like the peach perfume Sakuya would wear and the pink silk was cool to the touch. She could feel the delicate seed inside the bag and she could sense its power. It filled her with the determination to continue her journey.

Pale legs folded underneath the goddess to push her up from her spot on the edge of the deck. She slid the bag back into its place under her red binding, secure once more. Ammy stood and dusted off the back of her kimono and then determinedly turned around to face a playing Kabegami. The little goddess stopped her chase of the butterfly and waited for Ammy to tell her what they were going to do next.

Hands on her hips, Ammy flicked her ears forward and said, "I think it's time to leave. We'll search the village for anything useful and then head out. I want to get to Kamui before nightfall. If we can get there, getting to Wep'Keer will be a piece of cake." Kabegami nodded vigorously and skipped around the pond to the top of the stairs. She was singing a small rhyme that was often sang by the maids at the palace.

The sun goddess smiled fondly at the little girl, greatly amused by the little goddess's tail swishing back and forth in time with her skips. Kabegami made such a cute and carefree child, even though she was three or so centuries old. Ammy followed behind her at a pace between walk and run to catch up. When Ammy reached the child's side, Kabegami grabbed her hand and swung it in time with their steps as they descended the staircase.

As they came to the bottom of the stairs, Ammy stopped to gaze upon the destruction that had befallen the poor village. There probably wasn't much to find in the wreckage. The buildings would never be repaired, even the Rejuvenation brush technique would not fix the damage done. Ammy turned her head to look at Kabegami, who was craning her neck up to fully look at the sun goddess. "Be careful when going through the wreckage, okay? You might cut yourself on something you can't see," Ammy warned her companion since she wore no shoes. The cat goddess nodded with a serious expression on her face, though it only made her look cuter.

Kabegami let go of Ammy's hand and ran over to what was left of the Oranges' house. Mushi's house was nothing but ashes, so she skipped over it to the burnt out husk of Kushi's house. It looked like a strong wind could blow it over, walls discolored and the rice paper of the doors gone from the fire. She tried to slide the door open, but it was stuck so she used had to use force. The goddess took a steadfast stance and leaned her weight into the jammed door. It resisted, sliding open in small jerky movements before completely giving and sliding open in a sharp movement. The rough jerk almost threw her, causing a squeak of surprise to escape her mouth. Ammy quickly looked around to see if Kabegami had heard her, but the little girl was sifting through ashes at Mushi's house having moved on. It would have been embarrassing had she been heard since to her it sounded like a mouse that had its tail stepped on. Ammy hated when that happened, but so far no one knew she squeaked when she was caught off guard, thankfully.

Continuing inside, Ammy carefully side stepped the holes in the floorboards and payed attention to the creaks of weakened boards. She made it over to what used to be Kushi's bedroom, everything gone except the sooty dresser. Ammy inspected the heavy wood of the dresser before carefully tugging it open. The top two drawers contained clothes that were dirty from soot, but had miraculously been unharmed or singed in the slightest. Closing them, she lowered herself to her knees and tugged open the bottom drawer, but nothing was in it.

Declaring the drawer empty Ammy went to push it back in, but it did not go as she had planned. The drawer had been pulled out too far and crashed heavily onto the damaged floor. Ammy's mouth twisted into a grimace and her ears flattened down at the loud noise, eyes scrunched closed. Sun colored eyes opened slowly one by one and glanced down. The drawer was lopsided - one of the corners had gone through the floor - and the bottom of the drawer had curiously come up.

Ammy lifted the thin board from the inside of the drawer and set it aside. It seems the drawer had a fake bottom, to hide valuables from invading demons and bandits. In the fake bottom was a mirror, a pair of earrings, and a necklace. They were beautiful and looked to be a matching set.

The mirror was a small handheld one, easily fitting in her palm. It was made of white iridescent stone that was smooth and shimmered the colors of the rainbow. Differently carved precious gems were imbedded into it creating a beautiful mural of a sunny field. The picture continued on the back, depicting a tree much like the Guardian Saplings.

The earrings were made of the sparkly stone, carved into beautiful flowers. They were the same as those on the tree on the back of the mirror. Red jewels adorned the middle of the earrings, making them glimmer. The detail on them was impeccable, showing it was a master carver who had made these.

The necklace was simple, just made of stone beads and a large pendant. Both the beads and pendant were made of the same strange stone of the other two. The beads were small and smoothed into spheres, lining up on either side of the pendant. The pendant was carved into a swirl with a blossom in the middle, the same red precious jewels on the swirl. All together they must be worth a fortune with how well they were made and the obvious precious materials they had been made with. Kushi must have not been able to gather them in her haste to flee.

Ammy picked up the necklace and earrings and put them in her magic bag, then turned to pick up the mirror when Kabegami came running up behind her. "Ka-san! Come quick, come quick! The water is glowing! The pond behind the house is glowing!" Ammy's eyes widened and she quickly grabbed the mirror and also shoved it into her bag, standing up to run outside. Kabegami lead the way, nimbly jumping over the scattered wood debris.

The water was indeed glowing, similar to that of the Scrying Pool. Ammy grabbed Kabegami's shoulder to gently push her behind her back. The goddess summoned Thunder Edge and held the blade offensively, eyes narrowed dangerously. She inched closer to see what was going on when a sudden voice rang out. It startled her enough to make her fall back on her butt flustered and blushing brightly across her cheeks. "Hello? Can anybody hear me? Hello? Anybody!" Wait, Ammy knew that voice.

She scrambled over to the water's edge on her knees, sword still in hand. "Yumigami!" The moon goddess's face was depicted in the soft glow of the water. The stoic goddess' face was filled with brief relief. "Amaterasu, you are safe! What of Kabegami? Is she with you?" Her voice came out garbled, but understandable. Ammy was still shocked at being able to communicate with Yumigami, but still answered the question, "Yeah, she's here with me." On cue Kabegami popped her head over Ammy's shoulder and gave a cheerful wave and big smile, exclaiming,"Yumigami!"

Pushing back her shock, Ammy's face grew serious and grim. "Yumigami what has happened? Where are you and Waka? Where are the other brush gods?" Yumigami nodded and sighed, looking a bit haggard.

"I was defending my position when you and Kabegami were thrown into the pool, instantaneously transporting you to the mortal plain. I was too busy fighting to follow you, so the portal closed before I was able to get to it.

"Waka kept fighting the demons back, but they overwhelmed him. Before he was overwhelmed, he shut the doors to the Abalone room telling me to seal it and stay safe. I had no choice in the matter as it all happened so fast. As for the others, I have no clue. Probably scattered across Nippon once more."

Ammy lowered her head, tears stinging at her eyes once more, and her grip tightened on the ground uprooting some of the grass underneath her. Yumigami continued seeing her friend's distress. "I have been stuck in this room for some time now, but I have been able to use some of the emergency hidden passages to gather supplies without detection. Since I already spend so much time here, I know the passages and the room like the back of my hand. I was able to find out what has become of Waka." Ammy's head snapped up at the announcement, ears tense as she intensely listened to her friend.

"He is still alive. It seems they have only captured him and incapacitated him. I believe they plan to use him as a hostage or for information. I would break him out of the dungeons where he is being held, but I do not want to alert them to my presence. None of the demons have really noticed I'm here. I think they believe that I had followed you into the pool after sealing the room off." Yumigami finished, her voice starting to clear up a bit.

Ammy gave a relieved huff of laughter at the news, a shaking hand coming up to rub at her wet eyes. Waka was alive. No one else had lost their life. Breathing in deep, Ammy sat on her knees, sighing out some of the tension that had stuck in her throat. "Yumigami, how did you manage to get in contact with us?" The sun goddess asked curiously. The rabbit goddess looked a bit smug at that question, extremely happy with herself it seemed.

"I've used the Scrying Pool many times, so I read what little there is about it in the archives. I have a theory that the Scrying Pool is similar to the Mermaid Springs scattered about Nippon. If it can be used to transport people from one place to another, it should be able to do the same with sound and imagery. So I've been tinkering with it for a while so that it can be used to communicate with the mortal plane from here through any reflective surface. As you can see, I have obviously succeeded." Yumigami puffed out her chest with smug pride, hands crossed over her chest and ears straight up in the air.

Ammy gave a small laugh at the moon goddess, covering it up with a cough when she spotted the glare directed at her. Most of Yumigami's actions prompted teasing, which usually started a fight between the two goddesses. Ammy cleared her throat, hiding her smile behind her fist. "So what happened after you fell through the portal?" Ammy sobered up at the innocently asked question, eyes hidden in the shadow of her bangs. Kabegami, who had been sitting next to Ammy the entire time, eyes grew sad and she leaned into Ammy's side for comfort.

Ammy prepared herself mentally before describing what had happened in the time she woke up at the Dragon Palace to the death of Sakuya. Yumigami stayed silent through the explanation and her eyes widened in horror at what had befallen the wood sprite before her face fell in depression and sorrow. "Poor Sakuya. May she rest in eternal peace and blessings light her way to the heavens." All three women were silent for a moment before Yumigami broke the heavy silence.

"So what are you going to do next, Amaterasu?" Yumigami steered the subject away from the depressing topic, gently bringing attention to the current situation. Ammy pushed the thoughts of Sakuya to the back her mind for now and looked to the sky. The sun was already starting to dip down from its high spot in the sky. "Well, if we leave now, we still should be able to get to Wep'Keer before dark. I still need to check Susano's house real quick before we go however."

Kabegami lept up from her spot next to Ammy, and yelled, "I'll go look real quick!" Ammy watched a bit dumbfounded at the sudden outburst. "Okaaayyy, nevermind, Kabegami has it," Ammy turned back to the stoic face of Yumigami,"I need to know if the villagers are safe. Hopefully they are and I can get some more solid answers from them." The sun goddess rolled up onto her feet, brushing off the pieces of dead grass that were stuck to her legs.

Yumigami nodded and said, "Understood. Be careful and keep an eye out for more of these strange demons. I'll try to contact you again later and continue to try to find the other brush gods as well. Stay safe, Amaterasu." With that the image of the rabbit eared goddess disappeared and the glow along with it. Ammy stepped away from the water and turned around, swiftly making her way over to Susano's house.

Kabegami was jumping down from the front of the house to avoid the broken stairs. The little goddess quickly ran over to Ammy and lifted a piece of paper for the sun goddess to examine. "I found this in the underground training room. It looked like a note." Ammy gently took the paper from Kabegami and scanned through the contents of the paper. It was a quickly scribbled note that said that any survivors had fled the village to the hill in the north, which was the secret entrance to Kamui. That was no news to her, but she patted Kabegami's head anyways and thanked her, earning a beaming grin.

Ammy knelt down to the cat goddess' eye level. "Kabegami, the north is really cold, so you're going to need to stay in your fur until we can get warmer clothing, okay?" Shei nodded and flipped into her cat form, meowing up at Ammy. Ammy smiled and flipped into her wolf form. She then equipped her weapon Solar Flare and grabbed Kabegami by her scruff and tossed her on top of it. She barked up at the small kitten, who responded with a mewl of understanding and gripped the mirror with small white claws and laid down flat.

Ammy flicked her ears and swished her tail with a huff of content knowing she had been understood. Sun colored eyes turned back to the small village softly before they hardened with determination and turned away from the destruction. She had a new mission and she was going to get it done. The white wolf turned around and started her journey out of the village at full run.

The journey across Shinshu Field to the hill where the secret entrance to Kamui was not a long one at Ammy's full speed. Still it was long enough to see the sun start to drop farther in the sky, marking it to be about a hour and a half until sunset. The statue of Kabegami's more mature cat form still stood at the base of the steep cliff, though it needed some loving care. That would have to be something she did if she got the chance later.

Dipping her stained tail into her infinite ink pot, she traced a line up the cliff from the statue to the top. Little gold paw prints popped up as the cliff and statue absorbed the ink and its power. Barking once more at her small riding companion, Ammy started to jump up the cliff, sticking to the wall as she ascended. Kabegami was used to the feeling of gravity pulling on her so she enjoyed the piggyback ride up the cliff.

Ammy reached the top quickly and flipped up over the edge, still aware of the precious cargo on her back, but she didn't worry too much. Afterall, Kabegami was a master of sticking to walls and other surfaces, so her reflector was no different. Quickly observing her surroundings for any threats, Ammy started to move towards the ruins on the top of the hill. It was a bit more rugged than the last time she had seen it, but other than that it looked the same to her.

She looked to the top of the ruin to the seven pronged sword which opened the passageway. Ammy's tail once again dipped into her ink and drew a lightning bolt symbol, summoning it from the heavens to strike the sword. The sword crackled with electricity as it was hit and the door in the side of the ruin slowly opened. The sun goddess trotted to the open doorway, fur fluffing out in anticipation and the strong chill that emanated from the dark tunnel. It was now or never.

Glancing back at Kabegami, she barked a question to the small feline. Kabegami meowed her consent, giving her the signal that she was ready. Ammy nodded and took off into the dark abyss of the tunnel to Kamui.

Ammy came out on the other side, skidding to a stop and throwing up snow like a rooster tail. Thankfully it wasn't raining down snow in a blizzard. In fact, the snowfall was mild and gently came down in small flurries. Ammy breathed in the crisp air of the cold mountains. The freezing air was refreshing to her, her fur thick for cold weather such as this. However, as she looked back to her passenger, Kabegami was not. The small kitten was already starting to look cold since it was starting to get darker.

The sun goddess gently nudged Kabegami off her reflector, signaling for her to ride on her back between the reflector and her fur. The mirror would provide some shelter from the wet snow and her thick white fur would keep the kitten warm. When Kabegami was safely nestled warmly into the fur between her shoulder blades, Ammy continued on through the frozen wasteland.

The snow didn't look like it, but it was actually pretty deep. The sun goddess had to lift her paws up high to take a step forward. Her tongue lolled out of her mouth as she panted from the strenuous exercise. Finally she was able to make it to where Oki had called his home. Now it was snowed in - the roof had caved in and the furs that had once kept the house warm were gone- and looked to be abandoned. It seems the Oina warrior had moved back into the village. It would not serve as shelter in its condition, so Ammy kept moving forward.

The wind was getting stronger and the sun had started to drop behind the mountains, casting the snow in an orange and golden glow. She had to get to Wep'Keer before it set completely, stealing any warmth it still gave. Ammy picked up the pace to a quick gallop, passing the Guardian Sapling that marked her nearly halfway to the entrance of Wep'Keer.

Snow continued to pour down, picking up its speeds in coming down. Ammy ran across the ice of the frozen lake, panting hard and tired from her trek. It was getting harder to see now, the darkness spreading as the sun completely disappeared from sight. The wolf could feel the small kitten on her back shivering once more as the snow poured down relentlessly, soaking her thin fur. She was so close. She could see the dark entrance of Yoshpet from here and next to it was the icy ramp up to the entrance of the village. Just a little bit more.

Suddenly Ammy hit the brakes, skidding across the ice of the frozen river she stood atop of. A shadow formed out of the white downpour of snow. It wasn't human and Ammy could feel the impurity of it from where she was standing. This couldn't be a lower classed demon, no, it defiled the air around it, rank with rot. Ammy started growling in warning, knowing it probably wouldn't scare it off, but she couldn't fight with Kabegami. If she put the small feline down, the kitten would surely freeze, but she wouldn't risk fighting with her on her back.

The choice was taken from her as the hidden demon attacked. Ammy jumped to the side, slowed down by the melted snow weighing her fur down. The demon slunk back into the shadows. It was hard to see, so she quickly drew an infinity sign to conjure up an Inferno. The sign soaked up the ink and burst into a bright fireball. The demon hissed at the bright light now that it could be seen.

It took up the form of a large white snake. However, the scales were a dull mixture of decaying gray and yellow. Some patches of scales were missing which showed the rotting flesh underneath, blackened and oozing with yellow pus indicating infection. The eyes were a sickly yellow and bloodshot. It had two large fangs that appeared to be poisonous as a viscous purple liquid spattered on to the snow beneath it. It was obviously a demon that carried plague and disease. If not dealt with quickly, she could take a lot of damage from this new demon or it could spread the sickness.

The Snake demon struck again, lunging forward to crush her with its jaws, fangs outstretched. Ammy barrel rolled to the side with a snarl. She was slowing down and she had to worry about Kabegami who had sunk her claws into thick fur and was holding on for dear life. Ammy continued to dodge the lunges trying to formulate a plan against the Snake. However it seemed to get impatient and spat the purple liquid at her. The wolf goddess didn't expect the attack and barely made it out of harm's way. The poison splattered across the snow, some of it rebounding and hitting Ammy's left leg.

A loud yelp followed as smoke rose from the purple smudge on her fur. The goddess rolled over in the snow, avoiding where Kabegami was still hanging from her fur, to get rid of the mark. The snow stanched the burn she felt and absorbed the poison. Sun colored eyes narrowed at the poison that was acidic in nature and had singed her fur.

Deciding the battle was becoming too long for her exhaustion to handle, Ammy started to create Cherry Bombs with the celestial brush in the the path of the snake. They exploded as the demon lunged at her once more which created a temporary smoke screen. Ammy lept at the opportunity to get closer to the entrance of Wep'Keer, throwing up fresh snow as she ran across the icy lake.

The Snake was not fooled however and lunged at Ammy once again. The goddess dodged along its scaled side and struck at it with Solar Flare from behind. The Snake hissed in rage, whipping around to spit more poison at the wolf. Ammy panted hard, thinking to herself, _'This has to end quickly. I can't keep going for much longer!'_ She continued to feint and attack the large Snake, striking it along the sides where there were more scales missing. It was almost dead, just a little bit more.

White ears twitched back towards the entrance of Kamui, momentarily distracted. She could hear a few pairs of loud footsteps running through the snow coming towards the fight. The distraction was all the Snake needed to get a hold of the wolf goddess. The snake sank its fangs into her shoulder and used its grip to throw her roughly against a tree.

A loud canine whine of pain was ripped from her throat as her vision blurred in and out of focus, pain blooming in her previously injured side. Shapes became more abstract and multiplied and there was an irritating buzz her ears. She felt Kabegami nudging her muzzle and crying out in distress. At least she was okay. Ammy tried to pull her thoughts together and focus properly, shaking her head. She stood up, staggering and unbalanced, but she still managed it.

Her vision was still blurry and she was unable to see clearly, but the goddess could make out the frantic form of Kabegami in the snow. The kitten had her white fur fluffed out and her teeth were bared. Ammy turned her head to the sounds of battle just a few feet from the duo, ignoring the sharp pain in her reinjured side. _'Otohime isn't going to be happy about that.'_ The goddess thought deliriously. She could make out a couple of rapidly moving forms fighting the Snake back and hear the clang of swords against scales and the angry hissing of the demon.

One of the figures broke off from the fight, landing in front of her. This person was familiar, but with her vision impaired and the dark sky she could only make out the red, black, and blue that made up most of the shape of the person. The other figure was still landing blows on the Snake and too far for Ammy to see. The wolf swayed dangerously, but righted herself in an attempt to show no weakness. The blurred person seemed to glance back at her, before turning around to charge the demon Snake. The white Snake was cleaved in two with the sword the person wielded, dispersing the threat.

Ammy kept to her defensive stance as it was the only thing keeping her from keeling over and it was protecting her hurt side. Glazed over eyes warily watched the approaching blurry figure, assessing their slow and cautious movements. It looked as if they could tell she would attack if any wrong moves were made. The other person stayed behind the first as not to crowd her.

Then she could make out Kabegami meowing desperately in the snow below her. The wolf glanced down fuzzily to see the kitten hopping out of her self made holes in the deep snow towards the figure. Ammy relaxed at the little goddess' actions, because she trusted the kitten's judgement. If Kabegami trusted these people, she could too. The wolf's exhaustion and battle wounds caught up to her as her legs buckled sending her crashing into the snow. Ammy's eyes tried to blink off the heavy weight of her eyelids as she fought for consciousness.

The figure was beside her in a second, gently curling strong arms under and around her battered body. They gently lifted her out of the snow, jolting her side a bit and causing her to let out a small whimper. The person a bit farther away asked something she couldn't hear, but she could hear what the one holding her said. "She needs medical attention and rest. Take the cat and let's get going." The man holding her, as she could tell by his voice, was pretty brusque, but got to the point quick.

Ammy continued to blackout, the scent of warm hot springs and incense filled her nose. That last thing she heard was the rumbling baritone soothing her, "Don't worry, Amaterasu. You'll be just fine."

 _ **End of Chapter 3**_


	4. Old Friends

White ears twitched at the sound of crackling wood burning in a fire, it was muffled, a bit like that time when Sakigami and his brothers had stuffed dandelion fluff in her ears while she was napping in the gardens. Her mind was fuzzy and she couldn't focus her thoughts. Her mouth felt as if she had a muzzle full of Yasugami's pelt, thick, heavy, and it tasted almost as bad, take her word for it. Ammy's eyes were refusing to open, heavy and crusted over with sleep.

She could feel the warmth of the fire through her thick white fur and the softness of the bedding and animal pelts she had been placed upon. The wolf goddess shifted slightly to find a more comfortable position, however liquid fire of sharp pain stopped her short and tore a high pitiful whine from her dry throat. Her left side was badly reinjured and her movements restricted by the pain of it. White bandages were wrapped tight around her chest and the wound on her shoulder.

Ammy could feel the tug of the bandages where the dried blood around the wound caked it to her fur. The wound itched fiercely as it healed, but she couldn't scratch it for the life of her. Huffing, the goddess pouted inwardly, her subconscious persona flailing its arms in a tantrum and squeaking indignantly. So what if it was childish and unbefitting of a person of her stature. She hated not being able to do anything, it made her impatient and moody.

Ignoring the pain and the strain of her movements, the white wolf wriggled herself into a more comfortable position that allowed her to favor her side. Ammy's breath was labored from the simple, but excruciating movement, low whines with each one let out. Her sun-colored eyes drooped low once more and her mind floated away from her, leaving her to rest.

* * *

Long blond hair fell limp in front of Waka's face where he hung from the ceiling bound in chains. He was pale and his blue eyes were unfocused, seemingly in another place. His clothes were ripped and filthy, merely rags now, stained with demon blood and his own divine ichor. Bruises littered his face and body, silver blood running from a few shallow cuts and a deeper gash leaking from above his eye. A loud bang from the door jolted him to look up sharply. A few imps came into the room, while sneering and heckling at the imprisoned prophet, making way for a much larger demon.

The demon was strange, unlike any before, a hybrid of a humanoid reptilian and a bird. Its head was like that of a komodo dragon's, mouth hanging open slightly to reveal sharply serrated yellow teeth. The arms and torso were that of a man's, though the hands were bony and clawed on each finger. The legs were thick, though bird like, feet stretched out as a human's, toes of a lizard, and talons of a bird. It had a long muscled tail covered in dingy dark green and black scales matching the rest of the ones on its entire body. Blood red feathers grew down from it's head in a ratty mane and similar feathers were seen on the back of its forearms and down the center of its tail to end in a fan at the tip. Its yellow eyes were narrowed and the pupil was a vertical black slit, full with cruelty and mocking hatred. Waka had become well acquainted with how cruel this monster was.

"My, how the mighty have fallen. Nothing more than a dissshonored messs now." The demon hissed amusedly, his voice throaty and broken. He laughed cruelly at the steely blue glare aimed at him. Waka spit at the demon earning a hiss and snarl, "Dishonored I may be, but I am no disgraceful brutish coward like you. You soil the divine lands with your presence." The two snarled and sneered at each other, hatred burning their eyes. The demon regained its composure unwillingly, mouth twisted in anger, replying scathely, "And you were the one brought down by thisss sso-called coward. You better get comfy, because you aren't going anywhere anytime sssoon, ssso long as you don't give usss what we want, wretch."

Waka barked out a humorless laugh, angering the demons in the room. "I will never reveal the location of the Sun Stones. They are sacred and will not be dirtied by the likes of you. Tell your leader to shove it where the sun don't shine. I'm sure he would feel right at home." The demon raged angrily, lashing out with bruising force as he beat the blond moon tribesman in fury. Waka grunted with each hit, one knocking him senseless as it hit him in the head. He heard the other demons cheering from the sidelines, lusting for his blood, for his death as his mind faded.

The last thing he heard as he was thrown into the blank abyss, was the reptilian demon hissing at him. "You will eventually break, whether to me or my massster."

* * *

Ammy floated in and out of consciousness with no sense of time. She wasn't very coherent, not very aware of her surroundings. Every once in awhile she would come back to feel someone moving her or changing her bandages, still unable to open her eyes. She could still smell the people who were caring for her, a girl that smelled like wood and snowdrops, another that smelled like ashy incense and leaves with a hint of Kabegami's cat fur and ivy, and then a male that faintly smelled like paper and ink. Occasionally she would catch a whiff of the one that had pulled her from the snow, evergreen and hot springs, that was soothing to her.

Finally, after what felt like a millennia, and trust her, she would know, Ammy awoke fully. White fluffy ears flicked to the corner of the room where she could hear the rustling of cloth. The goddess's nose twitched at the scent of snowdrops wafting towards her as the person came closer to her bed. Ammy opened her eyes slowly, sight focusing on a young woman with long brown hair and a deer mask upon her face and a warm spring green winter kimono.

The woman froze at the feeling of eyes on her, looking down into Ammy's eyes. The wolf goddess tilted her head in question, before she opened her mouth to pant in a smile. "Amaterasu?" The woman approached slowly to the side of the bed that the goddess's head was on. Ammy whined wagging her tail, nosing at the woman's small hand holding a bowl of water and a cloth. ' _Kai!'_

Kai gave a relieved laugh at the cold wet nose sniffing her hand. Being one of the Oina, it was something she was quite used to, and so she had no qualms about reaching up to pet and scratch at the goddess's ears. Ammy pushed into her hand and sighed in pleasure. "Oh, I must tell the others you're awake. You had many of us worried, especially your companion. How well are you? Any pain or lingering effects from the demon's poison?" Kai asked sitting down by the white wolf's side.

Ammy turned her head up concentrating on the injuries that she had felt before. Her shoulder was still bound, but it no longer pained her or itched, blood no longer caked thickly. Her side still ached a bit considering that it had been healing from her tumble through the portal. She couldn't feel anything other than that and slight exhaustion, probably from not seeing sunlight in so long. Who knows how long she had been unconscious and bed ridden?

The goddess barked at her friend, turning her head back to the woman. Pushing up onto her furry haunches to sit upright, Ammy felt the slight weakness of her shoulder and side, but that would not go away until she had strengthened them by running around. She stood up and shook out her white coat of fur, before turning on her paws to wolfishly grin at Kai. "I guess that's a no." Kai laughed, amused at her old friend's eagerness. Ammy turned her head pointedly at the door of the hut, obviously broadcasting her want to go outside.

Kai nodded at her, standing up from her seat on the furs. "You're in luck, Amaterasu. The blizzard let up this morning and it has just been at a light snow since then. We might as well go tell the others you're up and about. Your cat companion has been staying with Lika when not sleeping next to you. We should go find her." Ammy barked her agreement, trotting to the door next to Kai, who promptly shifted into her wolf form and led the way out into the snow.

The snowy village of Wep'Keer hadn't changed much since her last visit five years past. A bit more snowed in and a few places in shambles due to the attack of the demons that roamed Kamui once more. Kai led her up to the village leader's house where the people they were looking for would be, hopefully. The young brown she-wolf kept them at an easy pace, running close to Ammy's side to keep an eye on her should she show any signs of poor health.

The two stopped at the entrance of a large house, Kai shifting back into her human form and stepping forward to enter the house. She pulled the doors outward, which let out a puff of warm air to ruffle Ammy's fur, and made her presence known. "Everyone, we have a long awaited guest up and about." She said as she walked in and stepped aside for Ammy to come in and shut the doors behind her. Ammy wagged her tail and barked at the whole room in greeting.

"Sister/Snowy/Amaterasu!" Was the warm greeting she received in kind. Susano, Kushi, Mr. and Mrs. Orange, Lika and Kabegami were in the house around the fire. They all went to stand up to greet the goddess further, but Kabegami was faster, leaping out of Lika's arms with a meow. The cat goddess, who was still in her cat form, hit the floor running, mewling her relief at her mother. The white fluffball stumbled in her haste and flipped head over tail, somersaulting to a rough stop at Ammy's paws on her back. Ammy huffed a small laugh at her little companion and bent down to gently grab her by the scruff and right her onto her paws.

Kabegami squeaked her sheepish thanks before climbing onto her mother's muzzle, using her front paws to hold on while her back feet dangled off into the air trying to find purchase to climb up more. Ammy crossed her sun-colored eyes at the cat goddess, before tilting her head back to let the kitten slide further. Kabegami turned around to perch on top of Ammy's head purring loudly in content, white fluffy paws clutching at the front of Ammy's ears.

The others in the room watched the two interaction with an amused fondness, though Susano was chuckling heartily, Kushi cooing at their antics. The pregnant woman was the first one to approach the wolf goddess. The raven haired sake-brewer was wearing a thick orange kimono with a fur pelt draped over her shoulders to keep her warm and was positively glowing in her pregnant state. "Snowy! Well, I suppose I should call you Amaterasu now though." Kushi said as she held her large belly. Ammy snorted and shook her head negatively. She had never been one for being a proper lady, let alone honorifics. Not to mention, these people had earned her respect and loyalty.

"So you don't mind me calling you Snowy?" Kushi asked, slightly confused as to why the goddess would refuse her respectful title. Ammy just yipped in confirmation and nodded at the pregnant beauty, Kabegami bouncing on her head with the slight movement. Kushi went to ask her something else, but the door opened once more causing everyone to turn their attention to it. By the look of it, blizzard had started up once more, though not as fearsome as it had been on Ammy's way to the village. Two more figures pushed into the room, pulling the doors closed against the wind and snow.

One figure belonged to Samickle, the village chief of Wep'Keer. He still looked the same with his white and blue winter robe and haori and owl-like mask with oak leaves. The other was none other than Oki, an Oina tribe warrior that had helped her defeat the owl demons, Lechuku and Nechuku. Last time she had seen him, he had been stubborn and hardheaded, quite like she was actually, now that she thought about it, but she could sense he had grown out of it and stronger.

Physically, he remained unchanged, still very muscular and comfortable in his own body that came from his rigorous training and fighting demons. His wore the same blue bear mask, light clothing and leather armor, and his hair hadn't changed from its dual color of red and black, albeit a bit longer than she remembered. However, there was a sense of inner peace and maturity where there use to be insecurity shrouded with arrogance and selfishness.

While Ammy was observing the two a familiar high voice rang out, though it sounded deeper than it used to. "Man, that's some blizzard. It's been five years since I've seen one like this. But nothing can beat the Great Swordsman and Artist Issun! Not even a blizzard like this!" If she could see Oki's and Samickle's face she probably would have seen them roll their eyes at the annoyance. But even she didn't need to see them roll their eyes since she could feel their exasperation from where she was sitting.

The little poncle was jumping up and down on Oki's shoulder, giving off a faint glow to show his presence. The two Oina warriors had turned towards the room after shutting the doors firmly with the old piece of wood across the door holding it shut. Issun immediately stopped bouncing when he saw just who was sitting by the fire wagging her tail at them. "Ammy?!" The goddess barked happily at her old friend and long time companion. ' _Issun! My old friend and annoyance!'_ Issun hopped off Oki's shoulder to bounce over to Ammy, somehow getting the feeling she had said something rude in that wolfy language of hers. Issun bounced in front of her from side to side. "Furball, why do I get the feeling you just insulted me?" He asked fuming a bit. Ammy snorted her derision, and innocently panted at him. What he didn't know wouldn't hurt him… much.

"How was your patrol, Samickle? Any trouble for you three?" Kai asked from her spot by Lika, her little sister. Samickle shook his head, "Not much. A couple of lesser demons prowling about, but nothing like the snake that had attacked Amaterasu." The village chief walked towards the fire and sat down and nodded towards Ammy.

Oki was still standing, but he had decided to lean against one the walls closer to the fire. Ammy wanted to go greet him herself, but Issun stopped her before she could. "Hey, Furball! What's been happening lately? One day, demons we had never seen before started attacking villages and people. I thought you had obliterated Yami and most of his forces? Not to mention, you came down from the heavens, right? So something has gotta be really wrong." Issun fired off questions quicker than she ever could, making her head spin. Now she knew how the others felt when she got this way.

Ammy nodded, which jostled Kabegami a bit, and whined in the back of her throat, laying down to cover her snout with her paws. It was embarrassing to know she had basically been thrown out of her own palace after being attacked and overwhelmed. However, in her defense, she thought that all the demons had followed the moon tribe and other deities onto the ark and all of the ones remaining had been dealt with upon her return home. There had been no warning, no signs, no nothing to signal that anything was wrong. But she had to tell them what had happened and get their side of the story if she wanted to solve the problem.

As she tried to sit up, the bandage around her shoulder and side made it harder, hindering and making her movements stiff. Finally, she was up on her haunches sitting after some more effort. Ammy turned around to tug on the white cloth binding her to find that it was snug and clasped too far for her to reach with her teeth. She could've done it if she were in her human form, but the bandages kept her from changing into it because they were shaped for her wolf form and tight enough to restrict the movement to make it possible to change. They needed to come off.

Kai saw the goddess struggle with her bandages and how it seem to frustrate her in trying to remove them without thumbs. "Amaterasu, come. Let me take those off for you. You should be healed enough to do without them." The young brunette woman gestured towards the goddess to sit in front of her, Ammy moved to obey her request. Anything to be rid of the white cloth trap that rubbed her fur the wrong way.

The bandages were slowly and carefully removed from her body, white fur ruffed up where it was wound tight to keep her from moving too much. The gauze patch that had kept the wound clean had a slight blood patch on it though and was a dried up brown. Ammy turned her head to smooth the fur down with her tongue to get rid of the strange feeling of her coat sticking up before shaking it out to get it to lay relaxed and get the remaining matted blood out of her fur. Lifting her paw off the ground, she rolled her shoulder where she had been bit to test it. Nothing hurt or pulled or broken, though her side was a bit sore from the abuse it had been subjected to. The wolf turned towards Kai and gave her a happy whine of thanks, nudging the young woman's shoulder with her nose.

Kai laughed and reached up to scratch behind her fluffy ears, "You're very welcome." Issun wasn't one to be ignored though and bounced over fuming in annoyance. "Hey Furball, I was asking something! What's going on around here?!" Ammy sighed and gathered her patience, as she often did when it came to her bouncing friend. Issun was a great traveling companion and friend, filling in the long silences of the restless traveling she did, but he could be rude, abrasive, and an insensitive pervert at times. She walked over to a clear spot in the room and sat down to consider the people around the fire.

Susano had helped Kushi sit down comfortably and had sat down next to her drinking sake and speaking with Mr. Orange and Samickle. Kushi was speaking with Mrs. Orange and keeping an eye on Lika who was playing around the fire. Oki was simply surveying the room quietly with his arms crossed over his chest, mask not betraying his little Kabegami was still perched on her head, purring away. The room had fallen silent at Issun's question and turned towards her to answer in some way, even little Lika had read the seriousness of the atmosphere and quieted down. There was not a person she did not trust in the room, so Ammy nodded having made her decision.

The goddess turned her attention to the now quiet cat goddess on her head. Ammy leaned her head down towards the ground in a motion that clearly meant "come down". Kabegami slid off the top of her Kaa-san's head and gracefully landed on her feet, turning around to look at the wolf, tilting her head questioningly. Ammy woofed softly and made the gesture that she wanted her to shift into her human form. Kabegami nodded in understanding and hunched her shoulders up and head down, so that she could be picked by her scruff. "Ammy? What are you doing?" Issun asked a bit warily as she gently picked the kitten up in her teeth. He had never seen her act this way before. Oki shifted off the wall he was leaning on as everyone tensed at Ammy's weird behavior.

Without warning Ammy tossed Kabegami into the air, who spun around in an aerial somersault earning surprised looks and yelps from the company. Then before their eyes, the white kitten changed shape, growing larger in size before landing on her feet. Now the kitten was no longer a kitten, rather a little girl of about seven winters with short, messy white hair and a white and purple play kimono. However the child had cat ears and a tail, along with red godly marks adorning her legs and face. Kabegami ignored the gaping and shocked expressions from the people in the room and shook her hair out and smoothed out the fur on her tail.

Kabegami smiled brightly at the stunned audience and clasped her hands in front of herself innocently. "Let me formally introduce myself. I'm Kabegami, Cat Goddess of Walls and protector of the Catwalk brush technique." The words didn't match her appearance, seeming like they should be coming from someone much older than she. Before anyone could comment on this fact however, Ammy flipped up into the air and changed the same way that the little goddess did. She indistinctly grew bigger and changed shape quicker than they could comprehend, and then she landed on her feet crouched down.

No longer was the goddess a wolf, but a beautiful young maiden. Ammy shook herself out to erase the usual tingles that came with the change of forms and raised her up on her toes with her arms stretching upward. The sun goddess groaned in relief at the popping of her back into place, before sighing and straightening out her red silk obi. "Oh, it feels good to switch things up a bit. I'm a bit stiff though." Kabegami reached over to tug at the edge of Ammy's kimono to catch the woman's attention. Ammy looked down at the little girl, tail swishing happily as she smiled down at her. "Hmmm?" Kabegami pointed at the people watching them.

Ammy looked over to the group around the fire. Kushi and Susano were gaping at her, while Mr. Orange had passed out from the shock and Mrs. Orange was frantically fanning her husband. It was hard to tell the Oina people's reaction because of the mask, but she could tell they were quite surprised as well due to the way they held themselves. Issun had stopped bouncing around and was stock still. "F-Furball? Is that you?" The poncle asked hesitantly, staring up at the gorgeous lady that stood in place of the wolf.

Ammy tilted her head to the side and furrowed her brows at the tiny man, crossing her arms over her chest. "Who else would I be? A monkey in disguise?" she asked huffily, incensed at her friend's behavior. They were acting strange, surely they recognized her even in her human form? She wasn't that different. "B-But! You're supposed to be a wolf! Not a pretty babe!" Issun reasoned, still not comprehending that the slobbery, headstrong wolf he traveled with for ages was a beautiful, busty maiden. The aforementioned goddess flushed at Issun's insensitive remark, but she was used to the perverseness of the poncle so she decided to take that as a compliment instead. Ammy cleared her throat to answer him, but she was interrupted by Kai.

"Amaterasu-sama? You look extremely…. different, my lady." Kai said befuddled at the change of forms. Ammy wrinkled her nose in distaste at the formality of her friend and gave everyone a stern look. "None of the 'my lady' or 'Amaterasu-sama' nonsense. I can't stand that, especially amongst friends. Amaterasu if you must, but please just call me Ammy, or Snowy, for you Kushi." The white haired woman commanded, directing the last part with a sunny smile at Kushi as she sat down. The pregnant woman gave the goddess a kind smile in return. Everyone was taken aback at how the she acted, carefree and nonchalantly as if it were a normal way for a goddess to act.

"Thank you, my La -Snowy." Kushi thanked the white deity, having to remind herself to not use honorifics. Ammy waved her off, tail flicking dismissively, and turned her attention back to Issun who was still silently fuming at being ignored. Though he had simmered down at the shock of the transformation. "Why are you human? Why are there demons roaming around? What's going on?!" The tiny man shouted, fed up with no answers.

Ammy kneeled down to sit in front of the fire and Kabegami sat down next to her. Turning her gaze to the little man, she said,"The first question is easily answered, while the other two, not so much." She looked into the faces, or masks in the Oina's cases, carefully taking in their expressions. Well, body language anyways. Samickle had sat by the fire and was, for the most part, relaxed but serious. Oki was stoic as ever, though his shoulders had tensed up to where he was holding himself stiffly.

"As you know, deities can come in many forms, and the guardian deities and I are no different. As long as we have enough power we can change into whatever we want. Well, mostly anything. There are limits." Ammy explained with a raised eyebrow, one white furry ear laying flat as the other flicked towards the bouncing poncle who was still frustrated with the lack of answers.

"Okay, well that explains how, but _why_ did you never turn human to talk with people easier the last time you were here?" The little man raised an unseeable eyebrow right back at the goddess. Ammy scratched at the back of one her ears with a nervous laugh, "Oh, that. Well, while people still revered the gods, they didn't actually believe in us, leaving many of us without much power. Not to mention the taint that had spread down here draining my divine power to keep it in check. So I literally had no choice but to stick to the form I had appeared on this plane as, because I didn't have enough power to switch forms." The group sweatdropped.

"As for the other stuff, well, I not sure exactly." Ammy finished, mulling over the past events and how to explain them. ' _Best explain the little stuff first and work up.'_ Ammy thought.

"I'll start from the beginning and explain the best I can. First off, when I faced the darkness that lingered in the Ark of Yamato, that darkness was so great and had tainted the Ark for so long it weakened me. Paired along side with a dwindling belief of gods, I was not at my best. It is when Issun sparked back that belief in the people with his art did my power to prevail return." Ammy turned to the little man, who was slowly turning pink with embarrassment, with a grateful smile before continuing.

"After that, Waka, the other deities, and I returned on the Ark to the Celestial plane. There was much left to be desired up there. Demons seemed to have taken over by sheer numbers. The other celestials were fighting back as hard as they could while in hiding. It took us at least half a year to clear them up and get rid of them. Then there was the political storm that followed. I had to organize the remaining celestials into befitting positions and get the palace back in order. It was a nightmare." Ammy cringed, ears pulling back against her head as she remembered the arguments, the head splitting migraines, and oh, god,-pun not intended-, the endless stacks and scrolls of paperwork.

"We finally got everything into some semblance of peace and after this past grueling year, I finally had gotten most to settle down. There were still some spats over power and previous lords not being able to return to their positions and whatnot, but at least everything didn't need to involve me." Ammy explained before she was interrupted. "Wait, wait, wait. What do you mean a year? I think you've got your calendar wrong, but it's been five years, Furball." Issun waved his tiny arms in the air before standing with them crossed against his chest.

Ammy's ears flattened and her tail swished angrily broadcasting her annoyance and glared at the little green man. "Stop calling me Furball! I only have my wolf form ears and tail and I'm wearing clothes, untraditional they may be. And I know it's been five years, but it's only been one for me. Time in the Celestial plane moves differently than it does here. That's why I didn't know how long it's been since I left the Celestial Plane. At least, until recently anyways."

Issun huffed, but Ammy silenced him with a well placed look. "As I was saying, we hadn't really known anything was wrong. Sure, we saw a random demon once in awhile but nothing like this. By the time we had learned about the widespread attack, it was too late. Yumigami was the one who summoned me to the Scrying Pool to see what had happened, but-"

A cleared throat gained Ammy's attention. It had been Kushi to interrupt this time, but hesitantly. The pregnant woman looked unsure of her interruption, but soldiered on. "What is the Scrying Pool, my La- Snowy?" Realization formed in the goddess's eyes. Of course they wouldn't know what the Scrying Pool was.

"The Scrying Pool is large divine pool of water that the palace was built around. It is a tool from the time of the creators that allows the divine to gaze into the mortal plane of existence. It can see anything, anywhere, or any person that is asked for. I was ecstatic to learn that you had gotten pregnant, Kushi! You will be an excellent mother." Ammy gushed lightly with a bright smile on her face. Said mother-to-be blushed happily and gently stroked her pregnant belly, extremely honored to have another mother held in such high regard give her such a compliment. Susano seem to have puffed up with pride for his wife and laughed boastfully.

"Yumigami spends most of her time at the Scrying Pool, so usually she is the one who gives weekly reports on the mortal plane. Just a few days ago, by this plane's time anyway, she summoned me to the pool. She had just learned of the attacks and that you had been driven from Kamiki. Unfortunately, there was no time to properly respond or gather the court and other deities for a meeting." The goddess continued, her face slipping into a more grim expression.

"The royal palace was attacked and we were outnumbered. Whatever the first wave of demons used to attack shook the palace. Kabegami came running in with news of Itegami and Waka. That half-baked prophet showed up right after that scaring us half to death. I am still trying to comprehend what exactly happened, but Waka somehow used the Scrying Pool like a mermaid spring. Demons had broken through the door, so we, Yumigami and I, along with Kabegami were fighting them off to give us a chance to escape.

"I'm afraid that's where everything goes blurry for me. An explosion knocked both Kabegami and I into the pool and I was knocked out." Ammy sheepishly rubbed at the back of her neck. It was embarrassing for others to learn that she had basically fainted towards the end of a battle.

Kabegami patted her arm comfortingly and scooched closer towards Ammy. Just because she was a goddess didn't mean she was completely invulnerable. Durable with an extremely hard head, yes. Invincible, no. "When I awoke, I was in the Dragon Palace where Otohime had found Kabegami and I. She told me of the strange happenings and that she had closed off the castle once more."

Lika looked excited at the sound of a dragon palace. "The Dragon Palace? Is it pretty?" The little girl asked. Ammy smiled fondly at the little girl who had gotten stuck in the past. "Yes, it's very pretty. It's a big palace made of shimmering coral and colorful sea shells under the ocean with mermaid warriors protecting it. Otohime is the queen of the underwater kingdom and a good friend of mine." The goddess answered the spiritual girl.

The little green masked girl looked to be in awe of there being such a place. It must have been an exciting prospect. "Maybe once things settle down I'll take you to meet Otohime and her son, Mizozu-kun. I'm sure she would like to meet you, Lika-chan." Ammy offered the Oina girl. Lika nodded heartily and sat back down to play with the doll, whose hair she had been braiding before speaking aloud.

Turning back to the adults around the fire, Ammy continued as if she hadn't been interrupted. "After leaving the palace through a mermaid spring to the one in Shinshu field, I could tell immediately something bad had happened. All the sakura trees were charred and the ground leading to the village was black. Everything was destroyed in the village. I immediately ran to Konohana to get a better look at things." Ammy was silent for a moment as her thoughts turned to sorrow with the grief of her dear friend's passing.

"I'm afraid the spirit of Konohana is no more." The goddess said looking down at her clenched hands in her lap. Mr. Orange by then had woken once more and let out a sorrowful sigh. "I had hoped that the tree of Konohana was still alive, but it was a foolish hope." The villager's of Kamiki were grief stricken over the tree that had watched over their valley for nearly a hundred years. No longer would they be showered in delicate pink petals and flowers in the spring nor would they be at ease with the scent of the blossoms on the breeze.

Issun sniffled as he remembered all the good times he had had with Sakuya. Sleeping in her robes and making her steam with anger with his teasing and all the times she had called him a bug. It was hard to think that she was gone now. He would have to get the full story of that part later, as unfortunately there were more important things to be told and heard.

"I'm afraid that's not all. There was a … demon, unlike any demon I have ever seen. It was an imp, but … not. It was so much bigger than a normal imp and it was carrying some kind of cursed pot on it back. The fire was also cursed, a powerful enough curse to ignore my divine wind to dispel it." Ammy said, crossing her arms across her chest with furrowed eyebrows. "What!? But that shouldn't be possible! Your divine wind should be able to put out any cursed flame or wind."

Ammy shook her head. "Not necessarily. Either the curse is too dark for even me to handle or my divinity has lost some of its power. Maybe even a combination of both." The room was silent except for the crackle of the firewood burning as everyone took this theory. Samickle was the one to speak next. "Were you able to defeat this new demon?" Ammy nodded, "Yes, this new demon has a weak spot its back if you can get to it. Some kind of milky looking jewel. After I cracked it, the demon stopped moving long enough for me to purify it and send it back to the earth."

Samickle tilted his head in consideration. "Yes, Oki and I have also seen this jewel on other demons recently. The demon you describe has not been seen here in Kamui, but there have been newer demons never before seen. Oki can tell you about the ones we've come across later, Amaterasu." Ammy smiled at the older man in appreciation and glaced at Oki out of the corner of her sun-colored eyes. The warrior shifted slightly, but otherwise gave no indication of his reaction to the elder's words.

Ammy continued on with her story, "After the battle, I went to see if anything was salvageable or left behind to be of use. Kabegami found your note, Susano. And I found this." Ammy turned to Kushi and pulled out the mirror, earrings, and necklace, holding them out to the pregnant lady. "I believe these belong to you, Kushi." Kushi gasped as she took the jewelry.

"Those are my family heirlooms. My grandmother's dowry to be specific. Her father had these specially made for her wedding after Nagi conquered Orochi alongside Shiranui. I thought those were gone forever. Thank you so much, Snowy." Kushi picked up the mirror and gave it a considering glance. She put the necklace and earrings in her lap, and gently grabbed Ammy's hand to lightly place it in her palm.

Ammy gave her and the mirror a confused glance. "I would like for you to have this, Snowy." Ammy shook her head and tried to give it back, but Kushi merely folded her fingers over the reflective surface of the mirror. "Ever since we of Kamiki learned of your role of Orochi's defeat, we have all been thankful to you. Please keep this, for all that you have done for us."

Ammy slowly retracted her hand and gazed down at the little hand mirror. She smiled at Kushi and put it away. Sighing, the goddess continued on with her tale. "Before we left, Yumigami, one of my brush gods was able to contact me through the Scrying pool. She told me that she was able to push all the demons out of the Abalone room where the pool is and hide in there. Unfortunately, Waka of the Moon tribe, my advisor, was captured and she hasn't been able to get to where they have him captive. She believes they are trying to get information out of him, but he's not talking. Yumigami will be my eyes inside the palace to tell me if anything is going on.

"The rest of the story is simple, after looking over the whole village we went through Shinshu Field to gain access to the way through to Kamui. It was getting dark when we finally reached it, but with the cold and everything, I wouldn't have been able to find a good enough shelter for Kabegami and I so I kept on to reach Wep'Keer. The snake demon attacked me and managed to catch me off guard as my exhaustion caught up with me and I got distracted. That's when you found me. Last thing I remember I was picked up by someone and then everything goes blank."

Ammy sat back a bit more to observe the room. Samickle looked pensive over the whole story, seemingly gazing into the fire blankly. Kushi and Susano were conversing in low whispers as Kai was quietly and distractedly playing with Lika and Kabegami next to them. Mr. and Mrs. Orange were just sitting close to one another silently. Ammy turned her full attention to Oki who had shifted himself fully to be facing the door. She watched as he glanced all the way around the room before speaking briefly. "I'm going on another patrol."

Samickle turned and nodded at the warrior who turned and quickly left the elder's hut. Ammy watched him go curiously. She wouldn't really know, but it felt as if he was avoiding her for some odd reason. Issun bounced around in front of the goddess, turning her attention to him.

"Issun, what's been going on in the five years I've been missing from the mortal plane? It seems like everything has changed so much." Ammy asked as she bent down a little further to get a better look at her old friend. The little man sighed and stopped bouncing to sit cross legged in front of her.

"It's a long story, but I can try to tell you most of it. Let's just say we never expected any of it to happen."

 _ **End of Chapter 4**_

 _I'm so sorry it took so long to get this chapter up. Recapping isn't easy since you have to constantly go back and reread your own story to double check everything. So It's a super long chapter for you and I'll continue to work on the next chapters of this as well as "Not So Important". I promise we'll get a little further along into the plot in the next two chapters._

 _Also a note for my readers: Writing will not come easy for me as my younger sibling had downloaded something they were not supposed and it uploaded a virus that completely wrecked my laptop. It won't even turn on because it ate through my boot drive and hard drive, and is also non-reparable. So says my Dad (the guy who has built his own computers for years), who spent an entire day trying to fix it. Long story short, my sibling is no longer allowed on any other devices other than their own and will get no WiFi connection except their own hotspot when they visit. And I'm using my Mom's little chrome book for the time being when she is not._


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